Newsbriefs: December 9, 2005
December 9, 2005
Chapel will stay – for now
The Calvin B. Hanson Chapel will be around for a while longer, thanks to a group of Trinity Western University alumni who are concerned with the future of the building significant to TWU’s history.
At the recent meeting of the Board of Governors, Benno Friesen, a past member of the TWU faculty and former Member of Parliament, made a presentation to the Board on behalf of the group of alumni. The group asked for the opportunity to raise funds to restore the chapel, which was to be removed this November.
The Board agreed to leave the chapel where it stands at least until its next meeting in February in order to study the matter further.
“We need to identify how many dollars and how long it will take [to restore the chapel],” said Executive Vice President Guy Saffold.
After this information is gathered, the Board will assess the situation and make its final decision.
$1.3M budget challenge
The 2005-2006 budget for Trinity Western University faces a “challenge” of about $1.3 million dollars, reported Executive Vice President Guy Saffold in a November 24 email to staff. This number may change depending on factors such as spring semester enrolment.
“A good bit of effort has been directed toward supporting enrolment for the second semester, and we hope for a good result,” wrote Saffold.
At the time when this information was released, the President’s Cabinet had identified solutions for about half of the $1.3 million, and was continuing to work on the other half.
Saffold noted that some of the challenges faced this year may carry over into the following academic year as costs continue to rise.
To combat the situation, the Cabinet has decided to take a “moderate approach.”
“This means looking at areas where we can defer spending in non-salary areas and determining which vacant positions should remain unfilled,” Saffold explained. “It also means a very significant focus on increasing income.” He also pointed to increased efforts in the areas of recruitment and retention.
Saffold reported that the Cabinet does not anticipate announcing “radical changes in employment for the January semester.”
He noted that TWU also plans for “improved results” in its fundraising department which has “struggled with the transition of leadership this year.” He added that “a time of presidential transition is always uncertain for donors.” He hopes for improvement next year, with the appointment of a new president and the leadership of Ron Kuehl as Vice President of External Relations.
Saffold was not available for interview prior to publication.
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